Most tower defense games ask where to build. This one also asks what. Every enemy in Elematter unblocked belongs to Earth, Water, Air or Fire, and so does every tower, with each element landing heavy blows on one particular foe.
It was a 2014 js13kGames entry by Jack Rugile, so the whole thing fits in a few kilobytes. A full game of twenty waves on one winding road takes a solid coffee break.
How to play Elematter
Click an empty square beside the path to open the build menu and pick an element. Towers cost fragments, the game's currency, and you begin with 500. Earth is the cheapest, Water the priciest, with Air and Fire in between. Press Play when your first towers are set.
Against its favored target, a tower hits 50 percent harder. Earth beats Air, Air beats Water, Water beats Fire and Fire beats Earth. The Next counter shows what is coming, so you can build the right answer ahead of time.
Towers can be upgraded twice, or reclaimed for most of what you paid. Every enemy that gets through costs one of your thirteen lives. Waves 5, 10, 15 and 20 bring a slow, tough boss. Survive the twentieth wave to win.
Controls
| To… | Mouse | Touch |
|---|---|---|
| Open the build menu | Click any empty gray square beside the path | Tap an empty square |
| Build a tower | Click Earth, Water, Air or Fire in the menu (hover to see its stats) | Tap the element |
| Upgrade or reclaim a tower | Click the tower, then the upgrade or reclaim button | Tap the tower, then the button |
| Start or pause the game | Click Play at the top | Tap Play |
| Change game speed | Click x1, x2 or x3 | Tap x1, x2 or x3 |
| Send the next wave early for bonus fragments | Click Send Next at the bottom right | Tap Send Next |
Tips
- Build a ring of all four. A mixed group of towers near a bend means no wave can walk past without meeting its counter.
- Put towers on the corners. Spots where the road doubles back let one tower fire at enemies on two stretches of path.
- Upgrade before you sprawl. A second-level tower often hits harder per fragment than a fresh one, and the white marker shows when you can afford it.
- Send waves early when safe. Calling the next wave sooner pays bonus fragments, but only do it when your defense is clearly ahead.
- Reclaim to switch elements. If the next boss is Fire and your strongest tower is Earth, reclaim it and build Water in its place.
Elematter questions
How is my score worked out?
When you beat all twenty waves, each life you still have is worth 100 points, added to your leftover fragments. Careful defense and thrifty building both raise it.
Can I speed up the waves?
Yes. Buttons at the top switch between x1, x2 and x3 speed. You can also pause with the Play button at any time.
Does Elematter work on a tablet?
Tapping works for building and every button, but the board is small and tower stats appear on hover. A bigger screen with a mouse is more comfortable.
